After allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), viral infections/reactivations are a frequent complication, sometimes with fatal outcome. Thus, early diagnosis is recommended by ...screening of whole blood or plasma preparations using highly sensitive molecular techniques that test for the most common viral pathogens, such as Epstein–Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and adenoviruses (ADVs). Despite this approach, not every reactivation/infection can be adequately detected or excluded, even with highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction. Particularly after toxic treatment, uncommon infections or infections resistant to first‐line treatment can occur, even in unusual locations. Herein, we present the case of a child with Philadelphia chromosome‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic HSCT who suffered from 5 different viral reactivations/infections, including acyclovir‐resistant herpes simplex virus type 1 esophagitis, human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis, rotavirus gastroenteritis, respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia, and ADV esophagitis, despite routinely performed blood examinations for viral pathogens remaining unrevealing at all times.
Do national differences in cognitive skills (CS) predict a nation's likelihood of generating highquality entrepreneurs who create and expand highvalue businesses? We answer this question by ...estimating cross-country regressions that use the Acs and Szerb Global Entrepreneurship Development Index (GEDI) and a measure of national CS. After including conventional controls we find for a sample of 60 countries that our measure of CS robustly predicts the GEDI (unconditional correlation = 0.65, standardized beta = 0.42), an index that gives weight to both entrepreneurial attitudes within a nation and the institutional and economic prerequisites for creating highvalue, high-growth firms. We find that this result also holds for an alternative measure of entrepreneurship.
Research finds that individuals with higher levels of intelligence are likely to save relatively more than others. Evidence from macro-level studies shows that countries with higher than average IQs ...also are characterized by greater levels of saving. These two outcomes suggest the testable hypothesis: Do countries with higher national average IQs, on average, have more developed financial markets to accommodate this increased savings activity? Using three popular measures of financial development and the Lynn-Vanhanen national IQ measure, I test that hypothesis for a large sample of countries. The evidence indicates that, all else the same, IQ is a significant predictor of financial development.
•Studies of individuals have found a positive correlation between IQ, patience and saving.•Countries with higher average IQ tend to exhibit greater tendencies to save more.•I test whether higher IQ countries establish financial institutions that enable increased saving behavior, a precursor to greater capital development.•I find a positive, statistically significant relationship between national IQ and financial development.
Previous research has found that there is a statistically significant, positive link between country-level IQ and various measures of aggregate production, such as GDP. This study extends that ...analysis by estimating the relationship between IQ and a new measure of economic welfare. Developed by Jones and Klenow (2016), welfare is not a measure of spending on public assistance programs, but a theory-based empirical construct combining several metrics of economic well-being. Using this new economic welfare index for a large sample of countries (74), we find that IQ is a statistically significant (5% or better) and economically important predictor of welfare growth. A one-point increase in IQ is associated with a 4% increase in welfare growth for the average country. Our results support the view that national IQ is an important determinant of cross-country differences in economic activity and welfare.
•Potential role of IQ as explanatory variable for economic welfare is tested.•IQ is a robust predictor of welfare growth using large sample of countries.•Results corroborate earlier work on GDP growth.
The composition of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) of separated mononuclear blood cells (MNC) from patients with leukemia was established by high-resolution gas chromatography. Abnormal fatty acid ...concentrations are detected in the MNC membrane phospholipids in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) without a deficiency of essential fatty acids (EFA). Significantly reduced relative levels of linoleic acid (4.35 vs. 7.82%;
P<0.001) are found in the MNC-PL in patients with ALL as compared to a healthy control group. Moreover, the Δ
6-desaturated fatty acids are increased: gamma-linoleic acid (3.56 vs. 0.17%;
P<0.001), arachidonic acid (21.82 vs. 16.27%;
P<0.05), docosatetraenoic acid (3.52 vs. 1.56%;
P<0.001), docosapentaenoic acid (0.34 vs. 0.04%;
P<0.001), octadecatetraenoic acid (0.53 vs. 0.23%;
P<0.05), eicosatetraenoic acid (1.83 vs. 0.08%;
P<0.001) and docosahexaenoic acid (2.77 vs. 1.54%;
P<0.001). A increased Δ
6-desaturase activity is postulated as the cause for the increased level of desaturate products or the increased Δ
6-activity index (Ratio of gamma-linoleic acid+dihomogamma-linolenic acid to linoleic acid) (1.21 vs. 0.27;
P<0.001). The Δ
6-enzyme activities measured using linoleic acid and α-linoleic acid as substrate underscore these findings (Δ
6(n-6); 2.49 vs. 0.65 and Δ
6(n-3); 2.75 vs. 1.12 nmol×h
−1/10
8 MNC). In contrast, patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) do not show any significant differences in the lymphocyte membrane PLFA and no Δ
6-desaturase abnormalities.
There is ample evidence that well-being, measured in various ways for a large number of countries, is positively related to the level of general intelligence. Pesta at al. (2010a) verify this close ...relationship between well-being and IQ across states. There also is evidence that well-being is positively related to economic freedom across countries. The purpose of this study is to determine whether economic freedom and well-being are related at the state level. Our regression analysis indicates that, across the 50 states, improvements in economic freedom lead to higher levels of well-being after controlling for other economic factors. We also find that the relationship between well-being and economic freedom differs significantly across regions in the United States.
► We examine the impact of economic freedom on well-being at the state level. ► We control for regional differences along with population density and unemployment. ► The marginal impact of increasing economic freedom displays diminishing returns.
There is evidence at the individual level that alcohol consumption and IQ are positively related: individuals with higher IQ scores tend to consume relatively more alcohol than those with lower IQs. ...This paper empirically tests whether this relationship holds at the national level. Using national IQ measures and data on per capita alcohol consumption, we test whether higher-IQ countries on average also have higher levels of per capita beer and wine consumption. Based on regression analysis for a sample of 99 countries, the data do not reject the hypothesis that, other factors held constant, higher IQ predicts higher levels of per capita alcohol consumption at the national level.
•Studies of individuals have found a positive correlation between IQ and alcohol consumption.•We test whether this relationship holds using national aggregates of beer and wine consumption per capita and national IQ.•Holding constant other factors, there is a positive, statistically significant relationship between national IQ and alcohol consumption.
The purpose of this paper is to test whether entrepreneurship is a significant factor in explaining economic growth at the state level. This paper, unlike previous work, uses the Kauffman Index of ...Entrepreneurial Activity (KIEA) as the measure of entrepreneurial activity. Based on standard growth regressions using real per capita gross state product, real per capita personal income and employment growth, we test for the independent role that entrepreneurial activity may have on state economic growth. We find that an increase in the level of entrepreneurial activity is robustly associated with an increase in economic growth. Such findings reinforce calls for policy changes at the state level that promote more productive entrepreneurship. These conclusions are tentative. The findings are based on the growth of the 50 states over a relatively short period. A longer data set would be preferable, if data were available. Moreover, the author has not attempted to distinguish between different categories of entrepreneurship, for example productive and unproductive entrepreneurship. Such findings reinforce calls for policy changes at the state level that promote more productive entrepreneurship. This would include, among others, changes such as reducing or eliminating state income taxes and setting strict limits on the government's use of eminent domain and environmental property takings. The study uses the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity (KIEA), arguably a superior measure of state-level entrepreneurial activity, to explain state economic growth. The topic is timely and the results have important policy implications.
When money is added to a dynamic IS model, evidence from six countries indicates that money growth usually helps predict the GDP gap and that the predictive power of a short-term real interest is ...much weaker than previous work suggests. Thus, for dynamic IS models such as that used by Rudebusch, G.D., Svensson, L.E.O. 1999. Policy rules and inflation targeting. In: Taylor, J.B. (Ed.), Monetary Policy Rules. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 203–246; 2002. Eurosystem monetary targeting: lessons from US data. European Economic Review 46, 417–442, the omission of money appears to come at a high cost.
